First look at the Pixel 4: Google confirms the phone, but leaves more questions

Last 12 months’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL.
Sarah Tew/CNET
On Wednesday, Google launched an official picture of the upcoming Pixel 4 after leaks surfaced within the week earlier than. The picture, tweeted from the corporate’s Made By Google Twitter account, all however confirms the flagship’s a number of rear cameras. In addition, the corporate launched the fourth beta replace, out of a deliberate whole of six, for Android Q final week. Given all these latest occasions, we now have a greater understanding of Google’s subsequent flagship and what its cell working system will likely be able to.The success of the Pixel 4 can be essential for Google. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL aren’t promoting very nicely regardless of their distinctive cameras and important acclaim. This might be as a result of the telephones are unique to Verizon (although they work on different US carriers), plus the truth that individuals basically aren’t shopping for telephones as a lot as they used to. The telephones are additionally costly, which Google hoped to deal with by launching the midrange Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL in May. There’s been reported points with the Pixel 3’s efficiency too (however we at CNET have not skilled them personally), and the corporate simply settled a class-action lawsuit that can pay out $500 every to homeowners of the first Pixel cellphone.

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Google would wish to unravel all these points with the Pixel 4 and 4 XL if it needs to extend gross sales. Though they’re months away from their launch, the Pixel 4 will function Google’s final tackle its cell OS, which can also be the hottest OS on the earth, and should stand out, not solely from the Apple iPhone however different Android rivals like Samsung.In the meantime, learn on to see what has been speculated up to now and examine again as we replace this piece with attention-grabbing rumors as they come up.
Confirmed: The Pixel 4 exists, has sq. digicam setupAs talked about above, the Pixel 4 is an actual cellphone — none apart from Google introduced that it is coming. Not solely did the corporate verify the identify, however it included a picture, which depicts a number of rear cameras encased in a sq. housing.

There was one other, much less official occasion when Google confirmed the existence of the cellphone in April, when a Google worker commented on Google’s Android Open Source Project. Buried in a thread about Google’s reminiscence error detection instrument, and noticed first by 9to5Google, the worker references the Pixel 4 twice:A Google worker confirms the corporate is growing the Pixel 4.
Screenshot by Lynn La/CNET
In the remark, the poster writes, “The plan was to first deploy this on Pixel 3 and make sure that everything actually works. Then move on to Pixel 4 and so on. If I had a Pixel 4 device…” Though the thread would not go on to disclose the rest in regards to the cellphone, at the very least we discovered that it is known as the Pixel 4 and that it is on its manner.Likely: We’ll see it in OctoberThis is not primarily based on any particular rumor, however for the reason that first Pixel launch in 2016, Google has launched its flagship in October. The sample normally goes like this: Google holds its I/O developer convention in May to go over the newest Android OS and software program updates. Then in October, it has one other presser that highlights Google’s {hardware} developments and it introduces a brand new flagship working the Android model previewed in May. There have been curve balls — as an illustration, this 12 months Google unveiled the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL in May. But that also places us on monitor to see the Pixel 4 (and perhaps Google’s good house endeavors) in October.

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Likely: Pixel 4 will run Android QLike with previous Pixel telephones, the Pixel 4 line will likely be one of many first — if not the primary — telephones to run Android’s newest OS. Because Google OS names are alphabetical, the upcoming replace is briefly often called Android Q earlier than its official identify launches. Although it is not out but, Android Q will reportedly have a system-wide darkish mode, new permissions options, improved facial recognition and enhanced safety.
Rumor: Pixel 4 might be bezel-less, with hole-punch screenKnown product-leaker SlashLeaks posted a rendering of the Pixel 4 from case-maker Skinomi displaying the cellphone with a hole-punch display screen and two front-facing cameras (much like the Galaxy S10 Plus). As a reminder, the Pixel 3 has two front-facing cameras, considered one of which is a wide-angle lens. The picture of Pixel 4 additionally reveals that it would not have any bezels, so the thick borders the earlier Pixel telephones have are completed away with. Apparently, Skinomi is so positive that this would be the design of the cellphone that you could already order display screen protectors and circumstances for the Pixel 4 proper now on its web site.

Rumor: Pixel 4 XL may have 2 again cameras, 4 wholeWhile earlier Pixel XLs launched with only a single digicam on the again, leaked pictures posted on (as soon as once more) SlashLeaks point out that the Pixel 4 XL could have two rear cameras. Google has sometimes relied on its digicam software program to do issues (like taking portrait pictures) that different telephones require a number of rear cameras to perform, so it is attention-grabbing that Google could presumably add one other. The similar leaked pictures additionally present the cellphone with the aforementioned hole-punch show.Rumor: Pixel 4 may need improved dual-SIM capabilities The Pixel 4 could have a characteristic that may enable a person to modify between two functioning cellphone traces. This is an replace from the earlier Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 (and their bigger counterparts the Pixel 2 XL and 3 XL). Those telephones have a regular SIM card slot and an eSIM. While you possibly can have two numbers provisioned for the system, you possibly can solely discuss, textual content or use knowledge on one line, whereas the opposite remained inactive. In different phrases, just one SIM might be activated at a time. But the Pixel 4 would be capable to have two lively SIMs. If both is getting used to make a name or textual content, nonetheless, the opposite line will not be capable to take calls or textual content in the meanwhile. This is much like how the brand new iPhones and different Android telephones function.
Originally printed March 8, 2019Update, May 26: Adds data about Pixel class-action lawsuit.Update, June 6: Adds Google worker affirmation and Skinomi renders.Update, June 12: Adds Google first look data.

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